The Magic Ring

Gulzar was nearly twenty years of age, strong of limb and pleasing to look upon. "Time to put Gulzar's wits and enterprise to the test," his father said to himself. He was a merchant of fabulous wealth; but he wished to reassure himself that his son would carry on worthily after he was gone from this transitory world.

"Here are two hundred pieces of silver, my son," said the merchant to Gulzar, handing him a purse. "Go forth into the world. Seek out men of high integrity and keen business acumen. There is much you can learn in their company by employing your eyes and ears wisely."

Gulzar set out, whistling a lively tune, without a single care in the world. Late in the afternoon, he entered the market-place of a neighbouring town and observed, in one corner, four men engaged in a brawl. It was all over a cat that had wrought havoc among their poultry, and the men were quarrelling over the best means of dealing with the offender. Gulzar watched the poor little animal cowering in terror at their feet, and took pity on it. "Do sell me the cat," he pleaded, "here are a hundred pieces of silver to seal the bargain." The wrangling was soon at an end, for the men were little loth to set the wretched brute free in return for so much wealth. Gulzar picked up the cat and proceeded on his travels.

A few miles ahead, on the outskirts of a little hamlet, the lad came upon an excited group of rustics about to kill a snake. Again, Gulzar's heart melted with pity, for he was of a very tender, disposition. "Just a moment," he shouted. "Let the poor creature go, and I'll give you a hundred pieces of silver in return " This princely offer, as you might imagine, did the trick.

Here was our young hero now with all his money gone and with two strange pets on his hand. How could he pursue his travel? "Well, I can do no better than turn back," he argued within himself.

When Gulzar presented himself before his father, the old man flew into a violent temper. At sight of the pets his son had come by at such expense, he was further convulsed with rage. "You are more of a donkey than I feared. Out of my sight! Never darken my doors again".

The poor boy could not guess what he had done to merit his father's wrath. He dragged along with a blank look on his face. There was nowhere he could take shelter. So, towards the distant stables he bent his sorrowful steps. Throwing himself full length on the piled-up hay, Gulzar wept his heart out.

As night fell and the boy dropped into a fitful slumber, his pet kept vigil beside him. The snake spread its hood out above his head, and the cat scurried after the mice that would scratch and nibble at his body.

Next morning, when Gulzar woke up, tired and aching in every limb, the snake reared itself up and addressed him. "Come to my father's spring, Master," it said. "Let us visit him in the caverns deep under the waters. You have given me the boon of my life, and may well ask him for something to requite you for it."

They dived below the deep waters and entered the Serpent King's domain, and the Lord of the Snakes demanded of Gulzar what he would accept as a token of his gratitude. The lad answered promptly, "Your magic ring, my lord, if you will part with it." That was at his pet snake's whispered prompting. How could the Serpent-King say no"

Presently, Gulzar, dripping wet, emerged from the spring, grasping the magic ring in his hand.

They repaired then to a lovely site on the banks of a stream nearly, and there Gulzar, at the snake's bidding, let the sun's rays flash upon the gem set in the ring. On the instant, there was a gorgeous palace where they stood, furnished with every luxury you could ever want, and liveried servants to attend on you. In the innermost apartment was a bewitching, golden-haired maiden, crooning a sweet love-song. Gulzar took her as wife and lived in the fashion of a prince, happy as the day was long.

Many months passed by. One morning as the fairy Princess was combing her golden hair by the river bank, one shining strand dropped into the water and was swiftly carried downstream. It happened to fall into the hands of the king of a neighbouring country, disporting himself in the waters of the river. No sooner had he set eyes on it than he straightaway vowed to himself that he would have none other for his queen than the maiden of this golden hair. But who she was he couldn't discover for many months, though he sent out scouts abroad in every direction of the compass. So the poor King sickened of love and grew thinner and thinner and thinner, with a fierce desire consuming his heart.

At last they fetched his old aunt to his beside, a witch as wise and crafty as she was cruel. "Take heart, my child", she adjured the King. "You, will have the princess you are pining for."

She changed herself by one of her mysterious spells into an eagle and scoured the country far and wide.

After long wandering, she came to the country where Gulzar lived with his princess. Here was the end of her restless seeking. She changed herself back into the wrinkled old woman that she was and entered the apartments of the princess. "Ah, my child, how lovely you look, and what a fine husband you have found!" she exclaimed by way of greeting "Now, don't tell me you don't know your own aunt," she added, wagging her finger mischievously in answer to the Princess's look of astonishment.

So clever and so full of tricks was this witch that she had soon won the Princess over. It was easy, too, to persuade the foolish, unsuspecting bride to let her inspect the magic ring. But no sooner was this priceless treasure in her hand than the wicked old woman changed herself again into an eagle and soared away.

As the King lay groaning on his sick-bed, the witch hobbled into the room. She thrust the magic ring into his fevered hand, soothed his forehead and whispered into his ear. Then it all happened in the twinkling of an eye. As the sun's rays flashed upon the gem in the ring, the palace came floating in the air, princess and all, to where the King stood. With a heart beating fast, he crossed the threshold, fell on his knees, before the lovely, golden-haired damsel, and asked her to marry him.

What could the poor maiden say to this? She was a bit dazed after her flight across the sky. And her husband was nowhere in sight. But a slender hope fluttered in her heart. "Well, this is too sudden, my lord!" she protested. "But give me a month's time, I promise to think the matter over !" The poor King, who was dazzled by her beauty, was content to wait. At least she was safe in his own country, and he could, surely gaze upon her face and still the turbulence of his spirit.

When poor Gulzar returned from the hunt on that fateful day, he rubbed his eyes in amazement. Where was his palace, and where his own lovely princess? He threw himself on the hard stony ground in a fit of sobbing.

With friendly meeaow, his pet cat rubbed its velvet skin against Gulzar's face. "Take comfort, master," it purred softly. "I'll do whatever I can to help you out." Then it was off with a leap and a bound.

When the cat reached the palace after a long and seemingly endless journey, it was well past midnight. Whom should it then, encounter but the King of Rats himself? It pounched upon him and shook him until he whined and squeaked for mercy. "I'll let you go," the cat said, "if you promise to fetch me the magic ring."

To the King of Rats nothing is really impossible. He is full of wisdom and master of a thousand wiles. Was he perturbed when his servants came round with the story that the witch had swallowed the ring lest it should ever fall into the hands of the King's enemies? He pondered the problem for an hour or two, and then tripped out of his retreat, chuckling to himself.

While the witch lay snoring, the Rat thrust his tail deep down her throat and set up a veritable devil dance. Well, you will guess what happened. The poor old woman jumped out of her bed, clasped her temples in her hands and coughed out all the contents of her stomach. What a mess it was, and what a dismal noise she made! There was the magic ring, too, in what she had brought out. Before the old woman could realize what was happening, the Rat had snatched it up and was out of sight.

The cat accepted the precious ring with plenty of bowing and scraping and hurried back to its master. Well, the rest is simple. The palace, and the Princess too, were back in the palace. Gulzar was reunited to his Princess and they lived happily ever after.

As for the witch, she stormed and stamped in her rage until she dropped dead, poor thing. What happened to her royal nephew, the story does not tell.

But you may be sure Gulzar would never again part with the ring, not for the whole world.